Though it may not be as true today, in the 1980s you could almost always count on a Lucasfilm game (or Epyx game for that matter) to be of high quality. Rescue on Fractalus is no exception. It was initially developed for the Atari 8-bit line of computers (and the Atari 5200 which is essentially the same thing internally anyway) and later ported to other popular computers such as the Commodore 64, Apple II and even the Tandy Color Computer 3 (a rare high profile 3rd party title for that system). It was developed by Lucasfilm Games and distributed by Epyx, Activision or Atari depending on the version and location it was released.

Commodore 64

In Rescue on Fractalus, you pilot a spaceship through mountainous terrain looking for downed pilots to rescue. Once found, you must land close enough so that the downed pilot can make it to your ship before dying in the acidic atmosphere. To make matters more difficult, aliens take pot shots at you during you search. In addition, they will sometimes impersonate downed pilots in an attempt to get aboard your ship. One unique aspect of this game is that the terrain is generated using fractals (hence the name).

Atari 8-bit

This is definitely a challenging game but one that is well worth playing. Both the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 versions are good and are easy enough to find for emulation purposes if you can’t track down an original (or don’t have the equipment). This game would make for a great modern remake but alas there have been none. The most “modern” versions are a slightly expanded Atari XE/XEGS version with more levels and an unfinished Atari 7800 prototype that was discovered in 2004.

ANALOG Computing was the most popular Atari 8-bit magazine in the U.S. It sometimes also covered the Atari ST. This issue is from 1989, the last year it was published.

The March 1989 issue includes:

Features

Cartridge Games for Your XEGS – The addition of the XEGS to the Atari line has caused a resurgence of cartridge-based games – old and new – and 130XE and XEGS owners both can take advantage of the fun.

Pebbles – From ancient Egypt comes this deceptively simple desert game using nothing more than a few holes in the sand and a handful of stones.

Master Memory Map, Part VIII – The most complete Atari 8-bit memory map ever published in a magazine continues.

Un-Sprites – Now you can have software-controlled sprites as well as Atari’s player/missile graphics.

Atari Videodisc System – The secrets of controlling a laser videodisc from your Atari computer.

DUPing BASIC – This handy patch to DOS 2.5 will automatically switch BASIC on and off as you enter and leave DOS.

Disk Games for Your XEGS – Did you know that with the addition of a disk drive, all the disk-based games for the 130XE computer will also run on the XE Game System? Here’s a quick overview of some of the exciting games available now.

Electra-Ball – A challenging, two-player game of strategy and reflexes written in Atari BASIC.